Connecting molecular advances to clinical research
The Alliance Translational Research Program (TRP) advances molecularly driven oncology by integrating translational science, biomarkers and biospecimens into Alliance clinical trials. By studying the biology of cancer alongside clinical outcomes, TRP helps translate scientific discoveries into more precise approaches to cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Building connections across the research community
Translational research depends on collaboration. TRP connects Alliance investigators with researchers at NCI-Designated Cancer Centers, Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs), community hospitals, academic institutions, and individual research laboratories.
Through these partnerships, TRP supports molecular characterization, biomarker development, companion diagnostic research, and other approaches that help researchers understand why treatments work, why they fail, and how therapy can be better tailored to individual patients.
TRP also provides access to Alliance biospecimen resources, molecular expertise and translational research infrastructure for investigators beyond the Alliance who see to conduct additional studies.
Supporting biospecimens and translational resources
TRP coordinates the Alliance Integrated Biorepositories, with locations at The Ohio State University, Washington University, Mayo Clinic, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. These resources support the collection, storage, tracking and distribution of biospecimens from Alliance clinical trials.
The program also manages molecular reference laboratories and specialty core resources that provide biospecimen, molecular, and image analysis services required for Alliance protocols. The Biorepository Management System (BioMS) provides an integrated platform for querying and tracking biospecimens across the Alliance and the NCI National Clinical Trials Network.
The TRP Executive Committee provides program oversight, while the TRP Advisory Board offers external scientific guidance and perspective. Four scientific committees provide specialized expertise and operational support across key areas of translational research:
- Biorepository: Oversees strategies and resources for the collection, management and use of biospecimens in Alliance research.
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine: Provides expertise in pathology, laboratory methods, and biomarker development.
- Pharmacogenomics and Population Pharmacology: Examones how genetic and pharmacologic factors influence treatment response, toxicity and outcomes.
- Translational Bioinformatics: Integrates molecular, genomic, and clinical information through computational and data-driven approaches to support translational discovery.
Principal Investigator and Director
Alliance Translational Research Program
W. Fraser Symmans, MB, ChB
Winterhof Family Chair, Professor of Pathology and Translational Molecular Pathology
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center